Personal computers are rapidly becoming common household items and may eventually join the ranks of the television in prevalence. Recently, the advent of graphics on the Internet, via the World Wide Web, has popularized home computer use despite the relatively high cost of machines equipped to accommodate the large files, programs and presentation managers required for World Wide Web navigation and use. Falling prices and advances in technology have aided this trend, to be sure, but the relatively high price of an Internet class machine remains a dominant factor affecting home computer use. Although many middle to upper class households have computers, many middle and lower class households simply do not enjoy sufficient disposable income for a conventional Internet compatible computer. Other potential users divert their disposable income to other consumer electronics that usually sell in the $1000 range, such as video cameras, direct broadcast satellite stations, video disc equipment and similar items. Computers would be far more ubiquitous if they, too, could sell in this range, yet provide total access to the Internet and give the user complete Web functionality and compatibility.
The advances in technology in the computer industry have, in part, reduced the cost of computer components. Thus, the same computer which may not have been affordable several years ago may now be within the price range of certain households. Nevertheless, given Moore's law and similar trends, computers rapidly self-obsolesce as machines with faster, more advanced processors, larger memory and more recent software versions (which continually tax hardware requirements) enter the market. Therefore, even with the drop in prices due to advances in technology, a need exists for a computer which is not only more affordable but which is at, or at least close to, the state-of-the art in technology and which can be easily upgraded with market share devices and components.
In general, personal computers can be classified as either desk-top computers or notebook computers. The desk-top computer traditionally comprises a relatively large rectangular central processing unit (CPU) housing (hereinafter, for convenience, sometimes referred to simply as the "CPU") within which the motherboard, various drives, input/output devices and other components of the computer are housed. Typically, the CPU is placed on the surface of the desk, on another piece of furniture, or on the floor and a computer monitor is placed on top of the CPU or on the work surface. The desk-top computer additionally features a keyboard placed in front of the CPU, a mouse located at the front or side of the CPU, and often has a printer located on the desk or on another proximate piece of furniture.
The conventional desk-top computer is, however, relatively heavy and bulky, and has a large footprint. Many home desk-top work surfaces are spatially overwhelmed with a CPU, keyboard, mouse, and printer. Consequently, one or more of the components must be placed on the floor or on another piece of furniture. Yet the desk-top machine does offer superior graphics, a comfortable keyboard (as opposed to conventional notebooks) and a feel of permanence because it remains plugged into a telephone jack. Logging on the Internet from a home workstation of this sort requires far less effort than from a notebook in which the modem card must be plugged in and the user must contend with a compromised keyboard and a machine which tends to migrate around on the work surface, even it is does feature an independent mouse instead of the aesthetically and functionally inferior typical cursor or tracking device.
Desk-top computers are, however, difficult to move from one location to another. The desk-top computer has various external cables, including one for carrying signals from the CPU to the monitor, another for signals from the mouse to the CPU, a further for the signals from the keyboard to the CPU, as well as power cords for both the monitor and the CPU. Once these cords and cables have been connected to their respective components, the computer user is often reluctant to move the computer to a new location. In addition to the complexity of routing the cables and cords, the desk-top computer is also cumbersome to move due to its large size, multiple components, and considerable weight.
The second general class of personal computer, the notebook computer, overcomes many of the problems of the desk-top computer. The notebook computer is typically compact, lightweight, and portable so that it can be easily moved from one location to another location without having to reconnect a multitude of cables and cords. These advantages of the notebook computer versus the desk-top compute can unfortunately be obtained only with a great increase in cost and sacrifice in ease of service and ability to upgrade components. For instance, although both the notebook and desk-top computer may be equipped with comparable components, such as RAM, mouse, monitor, motherboard, hard drive, floppy drive, and CD ROM drive, the components designed for use in a notebook are considerably more expensive since they must be reduced in size in order to fit within the tight size constraints within the notebook. They also typically draw less power and enjoy less market share than comparable desktop components. The notebook computer also features unique costs such as those for a special battery and, because the casing is plastic, requires additional measures at an added cost in order to address electromagnetic interference (EMI) both inside and outside the notebook computer. The notebook computer, therefore, is often viewed as a luxury item and not as a computer for the average household.
In addition to its high price tag, the notebook computer has other disadvantages. For instance, the casing of the notebook is formed of a plastic material that often cracks or becomes marred after frequent use. Any cracks or marring of the notebook casing can not only detract from the appearance of the computer and pose a risk to the components inside but can also be disconcerting to an owner who just spent top-dollar for the convenience of the notebook computer and expects a high quality item in return.
A computer recently introduced into the market combines desk-top and notebook features and shares some of the advantages and disadvantages of both. This new computer, which is exemplified by the 3000 series Compaq Presario computer, has an LCD display mounted directly to a computer casing, thereby eliminating the cords and cables between the casing and monitor. The LCD display and casing unit are supported together on a single base which can be placed onto a desk surface. While the combination of the casing and LCD display would be smaller and would weigh less than the typical desk-top computer having its casing and a CRT monitor, the combination of the casing and LCD display still consumes a fairly large amount of space on a desk, is still rather large and heavy, and is typically more expensive than a comparably equipped desk-top computer. A further disadvantage with this type of computer is that the placement of the unit is fairly fixed. The casing is unable to pivot relative to the base and the LCD display only provides a fairly limited range of motion relative to the casing. A user may therefore find it difficult to adjust the display to his or her own optimal viewing angle.
Another problem facing all computers in general is that consumer confidence in previously owned computers is fairly low and, as a result, the market for previously owned computers is both small and rather unsophisticated. Even though computers are typically highly reliable and have a long product life, consumers have no objective way to gauge the degree to which a computer has been used and thus are generally reluctant to purchase used computers. With more objective evidence on the actual usage of computers, consumers might be more willing to purchase a used computer whereby a greater number of consumers would be able to enjoy the benefits of a computer.
A further difficulty with computers is that the design of any computer is based on estimates of actual usage and failure rates of the various components and elements forming the computer 10. The data on failures for the various components and elements is only available today through simulated life-testing performed in a test environment which does not reflect actual usage. As a result, the design of the computer may have aspects which are over-designed to have a greater than necessary reliability, and hence greater cost, or to have a lesser than necessary reliability, and hence a larger than necessary failure rate.
As yet, a need exists for a computer which: (1) is relatively inexpensive, in the class of other consumer electronics; (2) is attractive, features a high quality display for World Wide Web operation and a comfortable keyboard and authentic mouse; (3) has the feel of permanence associated with desk top units but as of yet lacking in notebook units; (4) is easily serviced and supplied with new or upgraded components; (5) uses market share memory units, disk drives, hard drives and other desk-top type components rather than the more specialized, higher cost notebook components; (6) features a display which, even though integral to the CPU and positioned on a desk-top, may be oriented by the user left, right, up and down just as flexibly and easily as a notebook screen, (7) can enable one to objectively gauge the actual amount of usage; and (8) can enable one to determine the actual time of failure for a computer and to design the computer based on actual use conditions and failure rates.